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All English Fact Checks
False: An increase in child vaccines has caused autism rates to rise from one in 10,000 to one in 36 over the past four decades. The claim autism rates have gone from one in 10,000 to one in 36 in line with an increase in childhood vaccines is false. Multiple studies prove vaccines are not linked to an increase in autism. Experts told AAP FactCheck the increase is largely due to a greater understanding of the condition and a broader diagnostic criteria, leading to more people getting the help they need. (Source: Australian Associated Press - AAP)
False: Video shows a Harvard professor criticising Chinese education system As millions of students in China prepared to sit the highly competitive national college entrance exam, a video surfaced in posts falsely claiming it showed a Harvard professor blaming the country's competitive education system for its lack of Nobel Prize winners. The clip actually shows John Sautelle, a leadership coach who does not teach at Harvard, giving a TED Talk about the power of stories. His talk, whose audio has been edited in the false posts, did not mention China or the Nobel Prize. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Video shows the production of plastic rice A video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times in social media posts in the Philippines that falsely claim it shows a machine making "plastic rice". But the video in fact shows an advertisement for a machine used to add nutrients to rice. The Philippine National Food Authority told AFP no plastic rice is being sold in the archipelago, where the grain is a staple. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Video shows money found in Godwin Emefiele's house A video showing people counting large sums of money has been shared in social media posts alongside claims that the cash was seized from the home of Nigeria’s suspended central bank chief Godwin Emefiele. This is false. The video is old: it began circulating online in 2019 and was said to show part of the fortune seized from ousted Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir. Other false claims have been linked to the video. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
False: Namibia scaps visas for all Africa nations Posts shared on social media in Zambia and Kenya claim that Namibia has become the first African country to abolish travel visas for all countries on the continent. But this is false: a review of the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs website shows that not all African nations are visa-exempt. A government spokeswoman also told AFP Fact Check that the claim was false. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Missing Context: A Nivea sunscreen product for children does not include almond oil as an ingredient labelled on its package. Facebook posts have been shared by thousands of people warning that a Nivea sunscreen product for children has changed its formula and does not include the ingredient 'almond oil' labelled on its package. Almond oil has always been listed on the label but originally appeared unde (Source: Full Fact)
No Evidence: No evidence Italian PM Giorgia Meloni launched ‘Family Pride’ month There is no evidence Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni replaced or countered LGBTQ Pride celebrations with Family Pride month, despite contrary claims spreading online. Posts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube claim Meloni debuted month-long festivities across Italy (here,herea (Source: Reuters)
False: Gazing at the sun will not cause blindness, if done at sunset or sunrise. A Facebook video with over 31,000 likes promotes 'sungazing', saying that advice not to look into the sun is wrong and it won't blind you. This could be dangerous. Bad health information can cause harm if people follow it. It can also undermine good quality information from publi (Source: Full Fact)
Weather-Caused: 30 tons of stolen ammonia nitrate were taken to Canada to start the wildfires that began burning in Quebec in May 2023. Weather-CausedWere "30 tons of stolen ammonia nitrate ... taken to Canada to start" the wildfires that began burning in Quebec in May 2023 and blanketed the northeastern United States in early June 2023? No, that's not true: There is no credible information or evidence to support (Source: Lead Stories)
False: No, Guinness World Record didn't award Nigerian chef Hilda Baci N250 million for cooking record IN SHORT: Claims of financial windfalls can make perceived recipients targets of crime. In this case, another false claim is being made about Nigerian chef Hilda Baci and her cooking marathon. Shortly after Nigerian chef Hilda Bassey was declared the Guinness World Record holder (Source: Africa Check)
Scam: Don't be conned by yet another imposter Facebook page advertising discounted water tanks in Kenya IN SHORT: More Facebook pages are offering huge discounts on water tanks. But be warned, these are run by scammers. The Facebook page Roto Tanks Ltd would have you believe it is run by Roto Moulders Limited , a company that manufactures water tanks and similar products in Kenya. (Source: Africa Check)
Fake: No, viral screenshot of tweet quoting Kenya's police chief is not from NTV Kenya IN SHORT: Imposter accounts are common on Kenyan social media platforms. A screenshot of a tweet quoting Kenya's police chief, Japheth Koome, recently went viral. The tweet is fake, but seems to have fooled many. A screenshot of a tweet circulating on Facebook in June 2023 attrib (Source: Africa Check)
Scam: Don't be scammed! Kenyan actor Mwanasha Johari is not running promotions on Facebook IN SHORT: Fraudsters looking to make money out of Facebook users often impersonate celebrities. In this case, they're using actor Mwanasha Johari's name – this Facebook page is not operated by him. The Facebook page Mwanaaisha Johari Sultana promises instant cash rewards on vario (Source: Africa Check)
Scam: Beware of scam Facebook ad promising jobs at Kenya's tax authority IN SHORT: The Kenya Revenue Authority is advising the public to visit its official website and social media platforms for vacancies. And if a fee is required during the application process, know that it's a scam. An advert posted on Facebook in Kenya claims the Kenya Revenue Auth (Source: Africa Check)
Scam: Kenyans, beware of (yet another) Facebook account impersonating journalist Chemutai Goin IN SHORT: This account is running promotions and promising large amounts of money on Facebook groups in Kenya. But be warned, it's fake and misusing the name of a Citizen TV journalist. "Akuna jina ya Boy inaanza na herufi 'E' apart from Edwin na Edward, prove me wrong ujishindie (Source: Africa Check)
False: Is shoe company Bata on the verge of closing down in Kenya? No, ignore rumours circulating on social media IN SHORT: With over a 100 years in business, Bata is one of the biggest shoe manufacturers in Kenya. But rumours that it is about to close down, with jobs at risk, are false. "Bata Shoe Company management in Limuru has told its employees not to report to work on Monday. The compa (Source: Africa Check)
Miscaptioned: Video of train with military vehicles is from Canada, not US A video showing a train carrying armoured military vehicles stopped beneath a highway overpass was shot in Montreal, Canada and is not evidence of increased military activity in the United States in June 2023. The video, however, is from Canada and shows Canadian military equipme (Source: Reuters)
False: Fabricated Titanic magazine cover depicting Ukraine’s Zelenskiy is circulating online A fabricated cover of German satirical magazine Titanic that mocks Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia is being shared online. The fake cartoon cover, seen on Facebook (here), TikTok (here) and Twitter (here), depicts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with the caption (Source: Reuters)
Miscaptioned: CGI video of twister miscaptioned as Cyclone Biparjoy An animated video of a twister hurtling over a seascape has been miscaptioned online as showing cyclone Biparjoy, a real storm that killed two people after hitting parts of western India and Pakistan in June 2023. Reuters spoke to the creator of the animated clip who said in an e (Source: Reuters)
Half True: Biparjoy cyclone video. Vishvas News in its investigation found that all three videos going viral in the name of Cyclone Biparjoy are of different incidents and are going viral with a false claim. One video is of a tornado in China, while two other videos are old and related to other incidents.New Delhi (Source: Vishvasnews)
Misleading: Photo shows Biden and Justice Department official planning "future plots" Donald Trump claims a photo shows US President Joe Biden with a top Justice Department official, suggesting the White House is inappropriately spearheading investigations into Republicans. This is misleading; the picture dates to 2013 -- when Biden was vice president and Lisa Monaco was a homeland security and counterterrorism adviser in the Obama administration. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Misleading: Rebel leader says Ethiopian government is arming them A Facebook post with a link to a video claims that the footage shows an Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) commander boasting about how the Ethiopian government is arming the rebel force. However, this is misleading: the post shared a tiny excerpt from a 50-minute speech by OLA leader Jaal Marroo Dirribaa and left out important context. In the original video, Marroo mocks the Ethiopian government for “providing them” with arms and ammunition that he says his rebels took from federal soldiers by force. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Misleading: Lightning destroys church during gay wedding in the United States Social media posts in Africa recently claimed that an American church was razed to the ground after it was struck by lightning during a gay wedding. The claim is misleading: while the church completely burnt down, and investigators believed the fire was caused by lightning, there was no ceremony going on at the time and no deaths were recorded. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Altered: Photo shows a pride flag at the US Marine Corps War Memorial A photo shared on social media purports to show an LGBTQ pride flag at the Marine Corps War Memorial in the US state of Virginia. But the image is altered; the original is eight years old, and the doctored version was recently published on a satirical website. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
No Evidence: German sex education book is not recommended as a textbook for use in schools A German book featuring sexual positions is not recommended by education ministries or authorities producing frameworks for sex education in the country, contrary to online posts claiming it is a textbook used in schools. Publishers say it is an educational book for parents who w (Source: Reuters)
Missing Context: Flying saucer over neighborhood clip stems from video creator account A short clip purporting to show a UFO hovering over a neighborhood originated from the account of a video creator, and is not genuine footage of a UFO. The video appears to show footage filmed from a sidewalk, with electric cables sparking overhead while an apparent flying saucer (Source: Reuters)
False: A video shows Trump crying about his indictment Social media users are claiming a video shows former US president Donald Trump crying as he discusses his June 2023 indictment on charges related to his retention of classified documents. This is false; the footage appears to be distorted-- and it stems from a 2016 speech in which Trump was talking about political rival Hillary Clinton. (Source: Agence France-Presse - AFP)
Labeled Satire: In May 2023, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was arrested and charged with treason. About this rating On June 1, 2023, Real Raw News published an articleclaiming that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had been arrested and charged with treason two days prior: Gretchen Whitmer Arrested, Charged With Treason Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was arrested Tuesday whi (Source: Snopes)
False: “Unprecedented UFO landing” in Las Vegas. NASA told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that a recent bright light that some residents confused with a possible UFO sighting was a meteor and the photos showing the light are old. (Source: PolitiFact)
False: “Mel Gibson child sex-trafficking documentary blocked by Hollywood!” Mel Gibson’s publicist has said he’s not involved in this project. It’s being produced by Nick Nanton of DNA Films. (Source: PolitiFact)
Barely-True: Photo shows President Joe Biden sitting with “Lisa Monaco, second in charge of the DOJ, probably working on future Plots and Schemes against Republicans.” The image was taken by Obama White House photographer Pete Souza in 2013 when Biden was vice president and Monaco was a White House adviser. (Source: PolitiFact)
All German Fact Checks
Unbelegt: Im Raum Wuppertal gäbe es einen weißen Lieferwagen, dessen Fahrer oder Fahrerin versuche, Kinder zu entführen. Die Kripo wisse Bescheid. In einemTiktok-Videoheißt es am 10. Juni, in Wuppertal gäbe es einen weißen Lieferwagen, dessen Fahrer oder Fahrerin versuche, Kinder zu entführen. AufFacebookkursiert anschließend ein Screenshot des Videos, jedoch ohne die Behauptung, dass der Transporter in Wuppertal unterwegs (Source: Correctiv)
Manipuliert: Das deutsche Satiremagazin Titanic habe im Juni 2023 in einer Sonderausgabe eine Karikatur des ukrainischen Präsidenten Wolodymyr Selenskyj auf dem Titelbild gezeigt. AufEnglisch, Russisch (hierundhier) undChinesischverbreitet sich aktuell ein angebliches Cover einer Sonderausgabe der SatirezeitungTitanicvon Juni 2023. Darauf ist eine Karikatur des ukrainischen Präsidenten Selenskyj mit dem Titel „erfolgreicher Gegenangriff in eigene Hose“ zu (Source: Correctiv)